Rules of Engagement
by cvg16
Summary: Tamaki.A mystery woman.A one-night stand gone wrong.'Nuff said.
1. Chapter 1

X Ch 1 X

X Ch 1 X

"I don't want to be a virgin anymore" Kara Arakawa said matter-of-factly to her friend Renge.

"Well, I don't know how I can help you with that, seeing that I don't have the necessary equipment to devirginize you." Renge replied with a rueful smile. "Besides, I _don't _do girls. But if I were a guy, then we could talk." She eyed her red-haired, green-eyed, petite, voluptuous friend.

"I'm not talking about you, airhead." Kara replied with the familiarity and irreverence of a longtime friend. "I'm talking maybe one of those wonderfully handsome, virile and oh-so-dumb actors that you handle. I don't want to go through the whole nine yards of dating, dinners, foreplay, blah-blah-blah. I just want to do it. Surely, you can find one horny enough for a one-night stand with no questions asked."

"I run a respectable talent and public relations agency here, Kara, not a bordello. I'm not a pimp, you know."

"Oh, I know that. You have my utmost respect for building such a successful business from scratch, through your own sweat and blood, with very little help from daddy. I'm just asking for a name…of someone I could hook-up with, you know, someone who has _that_ kind of a lifestyle. I'm not gonna molest the guy."

"Well, I don't know. What would you say your type was? Go on, point him out to me." Renge gestured to the rows of pictures displayed on her wall – unlabelled pictures of all her clients. Regardless of fame or success in the industry, she was proud of all her clients.

"Oh, this one's too buff. That one's too short. Oooohhh, how about this one? Oh no, too handsome – he's probably gay, right?" Renge's smile of reaction told Kara that she was right.

"Oh my, this one's like a God. He's hot, but there seems to be a happy yet tragic look in his eyes, like he's wounded but trying not to mind the pain. I could work with that. And he doesn't appear to be gay." Kara pointed to a particular blond guy caught in a candid shot. The guy wasn't in one of his "impress the ladies" mode so his charm and radiance was toned down. Also, what the picture doesn't show is that he was gazing at one Haruhi Fujioka, who was walking down the aisle to marry his best friend.

"Ah, that guy's not really the type to sleep around…" Renge started.

"Oh come on. You're telling me a guy that hot doesn't sleep around? He _must _be gay."

"Well, he's just been through a recent emotional upheaval and besides, he's not just a client, he's a friend. And he _really_ isn't the type who sleeps around." But even as Renge continued her explanations, the wheels inside her fan-girl, moe-filled brain were already starting to turn. That particular client of hers _was_ caught in a slump lately. Maybe a jumpstart in his sex life could bring him back to life.

"I'll tell you what. I'll give you the name of the place where he always hangs out. I'm sorry but with this guy, that's the most I can do."

"That's all I'm going to need." Kara shot back confidently.

"Really? If that's all you're going to need then how come you're still a virgin at 28?" Renge asked with a smug smile.

In reply, Kara gave Renge the glare of death.

"Anyway, so which bar is it? Is it Rodney's? Kana's? Zuu? Circles?" Kara continued, rattling off the names of the most exclusive, upper-end bars in Tokyo.

"No. It's called Sweet Inspirations. It's a popular pastry and tea shop. Here's the address."

Kara gave her a deadpan look. "A pastry shop?"

xXx

Tamaki Suou was downing chamomile tea like his life depended on it. He doesn't understand it, but lately, his usual zest for life seems to have faded. Even the sugar rush brought about by eating God knows how many slices of cake didn't seem to have any effect on his mood.

The proprietor of the shop approached him. Tamaki was a regular, one of his most valuable customers.

"Tama-chan." Hunny said with a smile. The stoic Mori was, as usual, still beside the cute blond.

Tamaki answered with a smile and a nod of his head.

"Tama-chan," Hunny said. "You've been hanging out here for the past one and half month already. I'm not complaining – your presence _is_ good for business after all. But don't you think its time that you stop brooding and start living again? They've been married for almost 2 months already. Honestly, you're not the brooding type." Hunny continued, his sweet smile belying the bluntness of his words.

"Hnn." said Mori.

"You made your choice when you chose to protect our host club family and to not pursue Haru-chan. You wouldn't have been able to forgive yourself if you were the one to break up that family because of what you see as a selfish love for Haruhi. Because that's the kind of person you are. You put others above yourself. And if the friendship and brotherhood in the host club is greater than your love for Haru-chan, then you probably didn't love her enough – and you made the right decision. But I also think that deep down, you didn't think that it would work, you and Haru-chan." Hunny said softly.

Then his voice turned mean, AB-blood type mean.

"So stop hiding behind cake already. Here's a bottle of brandy. We're closing the shop. You, Takashi and me are going to have a drinking session tonight. And then that's it. You'll wake up with a hangover tomorrow but it'll be a new start for you, ne? No more of this moping and growing mushrooms nonsense. Otherwise, me and Takashi will not only kick your ass, we'll also kick you out of our shop."

Two bottles of brandy later, Tamaki was feeling a _lot_ more cheerful. He was smiling an idiotic smile as he waved Hunny and Mori goodbye from the doorstep of the shop. His condominium building was just two blocks away so he always walks to and from Hunny's shop.

He was sluggishly walking down the steps of the shop when he bumped into a small woman, who was reading from a small slip of paper and then glancing at the flickering sign of the pastry shop.

"Ooomph." Kara said as she tried to keep her balanced.

Tamaki grabbed the girl's arm to keep her from falling and bumped his head on hers.

"Aw!" Tamaki stopped and rubbed his poor aching head. "Ooops. Ssshorry." Hiccup."I didn't quite see you there." Hiccup. "Are you oriiiiight?" Tamaki gave the girl a silly, lopsided grin.

_Wow! He's even hotter in person, even inebriated. Oh well, I guess this is as good an approach as any – taking advantage of the drunk guy. _Kara gazed at Tamaki with a look of dazed wonder and calculation.

Then, without any second thoughts, Kara grabbed the opportunity and kissed the already witless Tamaki senseless.

This time, it was Tamaki who went "Oomph."

xXx

In a dark alley lurking by, a paparazzi was watching the entire scene with a satisfied leer. He couldn't quite get a good angle on the girl but Tamaki Suou's famous profile was undeniable. He raised his camera and proceeded to shoot to his heart's content.

xXx

Still dizzy with the alcohol, Tamaki couldn't quite control his instincts. When the girl started kissing him, his first unchecked reaction was to kiss back. And kiss back he did. He backed her into a wall on the alley and continued kissing her deeply. Alcohol seems to have rid him of his inhibitions.

Kara was kissing him back for all she was worth and running her fingers through his hair. Suddenly he pulled away.

"No. Stop. Can't think straight." Tamaki said.

"I don't want you to think. I want you to feel." Kara grabbed his head and forced him down for another kiss.

Tamaki broke the kiss again. He rested his forehead unto hers, his breathing heavy.

"My…apartment's…not far from here…" Tamaki said, a little hesitantly.

"That's…good. Let's go." Kara said, also gasping for breath. She pulled his hand and started walking, dragging him along.

But Tamaki didn't seem to appreciate being pulled anywhere and gave her an odd look instead.

"Do you even _know_ where my apartment is?"

"No I don't."

"Then why are you pulling me?"

"I don't know, ok? But please can we just go to your apartment now?"

"I'm having second thoughts."

"No, no, no! I don't even want you to have first thoughts, let alone second ones." Kara jerked on his arm, pulling him towards her and started kissing him again. Again, Tamaki pulled away.

"I'm drunk, lady, not stupid." He grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards his apartment building - the opposite direction of where she was going.

"I know. But isn't going a little crazy the point of getting drunk? The beauty of it all is that you won't even remember the crazy things you did when you wake up in the morning. All you will know is that your head is pounding like hell and all you want to do is go back to sleep." Kara said as she was being dragged along by Tamaki.

To Tamaki's already muddled and befuddled brain, her wordy explanation seemed enough. She was willing and she seemed sane enough to know exactly what she was doing. Still there were a few questions that he needed to get out of the way – just as a precaution. So he stopped. Abruptly.

"Ok, I'm following you. But I need to ask you, do you have any medical conditions I should know about?" Tamaki asked pointedly.

"No, I'm clean as a whistle. And you?" Kara asked. She already knew from Renge that he was also clean.

"The same." Tamaki started walking again. He entered the doorway of a very posh building, nodded to the doorman and proceeded to the elevators. In her haste, Kara missed the surprised look the doorman shot her. The doors dinged open and they entered the elevator.

2nd floor.

3rd floor.

4th floor.

5th floor.

"My God! What's your floor anyway?" Kara asked impatiently.

"Penthouse. The 40th floor. Why?"

"Too long." Kara backed him against the elevator walls and proceeded to kiss him again.

Kara was finding her reaction to this guy amazing. She wasn't normally overcome with lust but there's something about this guy that just throws her off. The first time she saw him, she just wanted to jump him. It was just pure, undeniable chemistry.

Tamaki was in no condition to think that deeply about what was happening here. He didn't do one-night-stands and he didn't do groupies. All he knew was that he was drunk, this girl came on to him and he was taking what she was offering.

They didn't know how they made it into Tamaki's apartment, let alone his bedroom. It was just a jumble of articles of clothing flying away, piece by piece.

When they were on the bed about to get to the good stuff, Tamaki gazed down at his partner.

"I'm Tamaki Suou, by the way." Then he went to suck her neck and then nuzzled his way to the point where neck and shoulder met, where a tiny birthmark the shape of a heart captured his attention.

Kara moaned in pleasure.

"I'm someone who you will never see again." Kara said and Tamaki swallowed her words with his kisses.

Then there no more words. Just pleasure.

xXx

As expected, Tamaki woke up with a splitting headache. He rubbed his head, trying to alleviate at least some of the pain. He had a feeling that he was forgetting something but for the life of him cannot remember.

He flipped to his side and his arm instinctively flung to the other side of the bed, his arms searching for something. Not finding anything (or anyone), he shot up into a sitting position, sending his head into spirals.

Then everything clicked.

Even drunk as he was, he still remembered last night as one of the best sex he has ever had in his life. (Not the he had a lot, mind you) Being drunk didn't affect his performance in bed one bit and his partner seemed to go all out to experience everything with him. The result was one amazing night of pleasure.

And now, she was gone, leaving no trace behind, no way that he could find her.

With a groan, Tamaki dropped his head back down to the pillow and went back to sleep.

X End ch1 X

Notes: Not researched. Do not know bars in Tokyo.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Tamaki was already feeling much better and was beginning to feel like his old cheerful self

The next day, Tamaki was already feeling much better and was beginning to feel like his old cheerful self. He was walking down the corridors to Renge's (his manager, agent and publicist) room and was noticing the strange looks that the people were throwing him. He ignored them and went inside Renge's office.

"Have you seen the papers lately?" was Renge's opening to Tamaki.

"You know I don't read that junk. The last one I read claimed that I was abducted by aliens and that I'm waiting for the mothership to come back and get me, which was why they reasoned I still haven't settled down and gotten married."

"Well, you should read them you know. The alien story notwithstanding, I believe you will fine the tabloids _edifying_ to say the least." Renge slid a tabloid across to his side of the table.

Tamaki glanced at the headline. _Fornication in the Alley._ The picture clearly showed him and the woman from the pastry shop.

"That was yesterday's paper. You apparently did not emerge from your apartment until today so I'm assuming this is the first time you've seen that. Here's _today's_ paper."

_Who is Tamaki Suou's Mystery Woman?_

"The tabloids are assuming, and I assume their assumptions are correct, that since they have not seen this particular woman before, that you have hooked up with a groupie and that this was your first one night stand _ever_ – since you've become an actor. They confirmed their story with your doorman and his story is consistent with their assumptions."

"Really."

"Yes, really. They are now holding a contest. They are asking your _mystery lady _to come forward and they are willing to give her money to sell her story of her '_One Night with Tamaki Suou._'"

"Well, I think this story, like all the other stories will die down. Give it a week or so. Then everything will be back to normal. I mean, how many red-haired women could there be in Japan?

Renge gaped at him. "Are you kidding me? Haven't you heard of hair dye? The tabloids are giving me a headcount of how many girls have already 'come forward' to tell all. 1,462! _1,462_ Tamaki! You're lucky the fool women haven't thought to inundate us with their presence here at our building. But apparently, the tabloid headquarters have already asked for the help of the local police to control the people over there."

"That's their own fault, for stirring up all kinds of troubles."

"That's not all. Have I mentioned that they are putting a spin to the story? The editors of the tabloid have given me a heads up for tomorrow's story. They're saying that this one-night stand was very uncharacteristic of you…which it was. They're, shall we say, mildly speculating that this was brought about by the marriage of a certain brilliant lawyer you have secretly been in love with, to a certain CEO of the biggest corporation in Japan, who also happens to be your best friend."

"They have no right – "

"I can't stop them from publishing the story, Tamaki. They are taking advantage of the fact that the Ootoris are currently away on their honeymoon, so the omnipotent Kyouya Ootori won't get into their faces about it. At least not yet. Also, given the angle of this story, the ladies are now convinced that you're a wounded soul and that all you need to do is find the right woman to help you forget about your lawyer."

"Geez. That sounds melodramatic."

"But isn't that really the case?" Renge said softly. "Are you really not heart-broken that finally, you had to give up all hope with Haruhi?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure. But that's _my_ business. They should leave Haruhi and Kyouya out of it." Tamaki said harshly, running a hand through his hair. "So what do you suggest I do?"

"Why don't you take a vacation for a while? Go to France. Go to the mountains to ski. Go to the beach. I don't know. I just think you should get out of here for a while. Since you're currently in between projects right now, getting away won't be a problem."

"Ok. I'll do that. I'll just leave you a message of where you can reach me."

xXx

"I just don't get it. I mean, I _never_ do one-night stands." Tamaki said with a shake of his head.

"That's why I think you're weird, man. That's one of the perks of being an actor. If I were in your shoes, dude, what fun I'll have." Hikaru said.

"As if you your sex-life isn't full enough already. How many girls are you juggling this time? Three? Four?"

"More like five. Coping mechanisms, Tono. You deal with Haruhi's marriage by getting drunk then having sex with a girl you've never met before. I deal with my pain by surrounding myself with beautiful women." Hikaru smiled bitterly and downed the rest of his brandy.

"You gave it your best, Hikaru. At least you can say that for yourself. I didn't even try. I just wanted her to be happy. And it's not like your love life hasn't been this busy even before their marriage." Tamaki took a sip of his iced tea.

"Well, whatever. Get over yourself. It's just a one-night stand. You'll probably never see her again."

"I can't get over it just like that. It was like I was taken advantage of or like I took advantage of her. I'm not like this. I mean, I proposed to every girl I ever slept with."

"What?! Whoa! Really? Well, that's news to me. Proposed? To every girl you slept with?"

"Yes. All four of them."

At that, Hikaru burst out laughing. "Man, oh, man. I didn't know you were this much of a dork. Just four? And you proposed to each of them? Why couldn't you have gone ahead and slept with Haruhi so that you could have proposed to her too? She could have been married to you instead of Kyouya."

"I was very young! Two of them were back in college. They didn't accept because they said they were too young to get married. They were very serious about their studies and future careers."

"And the other two?"

"The other one was an actress. An international actress who, back then, was far more famous and renowned than me. I was a nobody in the industry back then and she wanted to go further up the food chain and figured she could do better than me. She was very ambitious. Boy, did that ever teach me not to get involved with another actress again."

"Stupid woman. Didn't you tell her you're the only heir to the Suou empire?"

"I've been disinherited indefinitely, or until, as my grandmother worded it "I find the error of my ways, repent and return to the fold."

"Ha! As if there is someone else they could hand the company to. No one in your family is more capable than you to take over that company. What will happen to your estate without you?"

"My grandmother has decided that she will simply live forever so she can oversee the company."

"That old bat. Well, how about your fourth proposal?"

"I proposed to the director of one of my movies. She just recently got divorced from her actor husband and said she didn't want to repeat the experience. I don't get it. I believed I could have loved any of those women that I proposed to. Didn't they understand that beyond the satiation of a biological need, sex is a sacred thing? That it should be shared only between two people who are willing to build a life together?"

At that, Hikaru couldn't contain another series of laughter. He was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.

"Oh! Oh! Tono is such a prude. What a dork!" Hikaru again fell into uncontrollable laughter.

Tamaki glared at him. "Where is Kaoru anyway? I asked _him_ to come, not you."

"He's busy finishing off some of the pieces for our upcoming fashion show. I'm sooo glad I came though."

"I'm beginning to regret –" Tamaki was cut off by the sound of his ringing cell phone. He took the phone out of his pocket and winced when he saw the caller's name.

"Excuse me, I have to take this." He said to Hikaru.

"Hello?"

_What is this news that is all over the newspapers? Fornicating in an alley? I know you've already been disinherited but you are still a Suou. You have a responsibility to uphold the family name. You have already besmirched that name when you entered into that sordid profession and we have been tolerant about it. But this! This, Tamaki, is unacceptable!"_

"I'm sorry, Father. But – "

_And now, dragging the name of a very powerful man and his new wife through all this gossip – Kyouya wouldn't be that generous, even to a friend. You can be sure Kyouya would erupt once he gets hold of today's story. 'A certain brilliant lawyer you have secretly been in love with, married to a certain CEO of the biggest corporation in Japan, who also happens to be your best friend' That does not even qualify as a blind item. Even the blind could figure out to whom they were referring to._

"But it wasn't my fault! – "

_You had better fix this, Tamaki!_

"I know that. I'm making plans to lay low for a while, maybe go to France or somewhere. – "

_Running away and letting the news die down is not going to be enough this time. You better figure something out real quick, before Kyouya gets back from his honeymoon. _

"But – "

The phone went dead.

Hikaru slapped him on the shoulder blade. "I don't envy you now, Tono."

X End ch2 X


	3. Chapter 3

Tamaki decided to take a walk in a nearby park to clear his head

Tamaki decided to take a walk in a nearby park to clear his head. Already, 10 redheads stopped him claiming that she was his mystery lady. He charmed his way out of it by saying he will ask them a question that only his mystery girl would know the answer to. Sort of like Cinderella. The ladies eagerly awaited his question and each was confident that they would be able to answer.

"During our special night together, what did you tell me your name was?"

"My name is Aiko!"

"Your beloved!"

"Your destiny!"

He got 10 different answers, none of them the correct one. It was a double-edged question. The mystery lady's response last night – _I'm someone who you will never see again­_ – assuming she was being truthful and he presumed she was, was a response that almost guaranteed that she _wouldn't_ come forward and reveal herself. He was certain that somebody who managed to give the correct answer just guessed correctly. He could feel it in his bones that his mystery lady just wants to remain precisely that – a mystery.

He continued on to the park, getting a few of similar kinds of interruptions. Finally, he reached his destination and managed to find a semi-secluded and inconspicuous area in the park. He just sat on the bench and stared at the trees for a while.

As he gazed at the leaves being gently blown by the wind, he thought about how his life has come to this.

After high school, it was inevitable that the Host Club would drift apart. Tamaki had done his best to ensure that the only distance between the members would be geographical. He had set-up all kinds of communication networks, arranged surprise visit, group vacations and holidays. (All with the help of a certain shadow king of course) Kyouya went to business school in the United States. Haruhi stayed in Tokyo to get her pre-law and law degrees. Hikaru and Kaoru were in Paris studying fashion and graphic design. Hunny and Mori spent time in China and Korea for a while to study other forms of martial arts then went on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US to study engineering.

Tamaki went to England to study business and prepare to take over the family corporation. While there however, he innocently joined the university's drama club and was sucked into the world of theater and acting. He scrambled to learn all he can about the performing arts, even went to the extent of picking up a second major in theater and film. He joined different amateur acting groups and got heavily involved in different theater productions. He was good at it – after all, it wasn't that much different from his host club days. He was there to entertain people. He loved acting, so much so that he took courage to announce it to his family that he would try to get a career in stage acting.

His family went ballistic. Well, his grandmother did. She was barely just beginning to accept Tamaki as the possible heir to the family corporation and he went and did the unthinkable. Going into show business was as good as running away with the circus.

And it's not as if Tamaki neglected his business degree. With the natural intelligence (although it wasn't really apparent) that enabled him to always finish second in class during high school, second only to the unbeatable Kyouya Ootori, he managed to conquer his double major and graduate cum laude.

But he was still disinherited anyway. So he stayed in England and tried to make his way in theater. Jobs in reputable productions were scarce, so to augment his allowance from his family (what his father could secretly give him without his grandmother knowing about it) he would try out as a print ad or TV commercial model. It was really inevitable that the TV scouts would find him. After all, he was a hot blond, Japanese guy who can speak French, Japanese and English fluently, and was conversant in a few other languages as well. He was very photogenic and his charm could really penetrate through the lenses of a camera, through a TV screen and to the audience's hearts.

It was his role in a popular daytime drama that enabled his mother to finally locate him and make contact with him after all these years. It was a very happy reunion. So happy that he packed up his bags and moved to France just so he could be with her.

In France, he tried to continue his stage and TV career. He was auditioning for a role in a sitcom when he was spotted by a casting director. Thus, he was given a supporting role in an international release French romantic comedy.

After that, there was no stopping him. He became the IT guy for romantic comedies and romantic dramas in France. Due to his increasing popularity from the international releases of his movies, Hollywood also came knocking. He was the go-to-guy if they wanted a romantic, or sometimes even silly, French character. They got around to asking him to dye his hair black and he eventually became the token Japanese guy in American films.

Which was why he was here again in Japan. After his international success, the Japanese movie and TV industry scrambled to get him into local movies and TV shows. As expected, he was an instant success.

His career was going exactly as he wanted it. But, as they say, there is a price to success. It was beginning to appear that his love life was taking the toll for his professional triumph.

He let out a sigh.

He was about to stand up from the bench when he heard a commotion and a shouted "Watch out!" from someone.

He turned to look and was suddenly attacked by 4 golden retrievers who knocked him off his feet and were enthusiastically licking his face and every exposed skin their lolling tongues could reach.

"I'm sorry! I was just taking them for a walk and they managed to pull the leash from my grip. They're still young and not properly trained. I'll pay for the – "

The handler of the dogs started explaining but she was cut off by Tamaki's laughter. She stared fascinated as Tamaki just romped with the dogs, saying silly things like, "Who's a good dog? Yes, you are. You're a good dog." Tamaki went on scratching ears and rubbing bellies.

"They're good dogs." Tamaki said as he patted the head of one dog. "Are they yours?" It was only when he addressed a direct question to the lady that he looked up from his crouching position…

And he let out a gasp.

"You!"

xXx

Kara almost started backing away when she finally saw the face of the guy who was being accosted by her dogs. She saw the flash of recognition and then the seeming anger and frustration in his eyes. He doesn't appear to be crazy so she tried the logical approach first.

"Um, to address your first statement, yes they are good dogs, if a little unruly sometimes. To answer your first question, no, the dogs aren't mine. I'm a part-time dog-walker. As to your outraged exclamation, I say, do I know you ?" Kara was praying to God that he was drunk enough that night to not have remembered her face. But judging by the look he was giving her, he obviously wasn't drunk enough.

"Do I _know_ you?! Do you know _me_?! Only in the biblical sense of the word!" Tamaki then slapped his hand on his mouth, as if trying to keep the unchecked and outraged words from coming out of his mouth.

"I…you…we…"

"They…them…us…he…she…it…"

"That's not funny!" Tamaki said as he continued to sputter like an idiot.

"What? I thought you were listing down all the pronouns you could think of. I was only trying to help."

Suddenly, Tamaki brushed her hair off her shoulder and pointed triumphantly and accusingly.

"There! Heart-shaped birthmark!"

Kara didn't know what to do. She wasn't supposed to see him again. Who would have known that an actor would hang out in a park? But then again, he was the kind of actor who hung out in tea shops. She sneaked a glance at him and saw the horror on his face. Then she remembered Renge's remark that this guy wasn't the type to sleep around. She could just imagine that he was feeling extremely violated by now. Sheesh, what a sensitive guy.

_What to do, what to do?_ Kara thought. The wheels of devilish thought were whirling inside her head. Then suddenly, she knew what to do.

Kara pinched herself discreetly, which made tears pool inside her eyes. She lifted glistening eyes to Tamaki and she let a single tear fall down the corner of her right eye.

"I admit it. It was me that night. I apologize. I know it was the wrong thing to do. But when I saw you…I couldn't help but think about Jason…and how I wanted to be with him for the last time."

"I reminded you of someone? You were using me as a substitute?" Tamaki asked incredulously.

"Jason…my dead boyfriend. He died exactly a year ago that night." Kara continued, letting silent tears stream down her face.

"We were engaged. Our wedding was supposed to be in two months when he got caught in a car accident on the way home." Kara looked away for a little effect.

"He was rushing home to get to me. It was our monthsary. But somebody lost control of his car and charged into Jason's car. We took him to the hospital but the doctors couldn't do anything. His last words to me were "I love you. Be happy…" Kara was sobbing now, too caught up in her own fake drama story.

She found herself gathered in Tamaki's chest crushed in a hug. He was patting her hair awkwardly, saying "There,there" as if she was a child. Kara could barely control the snort that was threatening to come out of her. She was obviously a very fine actress – even the dogs were howling in misery all around them.

"I'm sorry. It was, like, I needed that one last thing to help me move on. I apologize for using you. But please, please know that it was a very cleansing thing for me and for what it's worth, I will always be indebted to you. I was stuck in limbo this past year, but now thanks to you…I'm finally free. "Kara said to Tamaki's chest.

"It's all right. I understand. You have nothing to apologize for." Tamaki said in a complete turnabout from his previous reaction.

Kara pulled away from Tamaki and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry I wept all over you. I don't know what came over me."

"It's all right. You were hurting. You needed to cry it out."

_Was this guy for real?_ Kara thought incredulously. Maybe he really was a gentleman – one of the rare few remaining.

"Ahh. I'm so embarrassed now." Sigh. "I really never thought I would see you again. I truly am sorry." Kara gave a loud sniff.

She strategically started gathering the dogs' leashes and dusted herself off.

She gazed soulfully at Tamaki.

"All I can say is fill your life with love while you still can. You never know when the ones you love will be snatched away from you. Thank you."

Kara kissed Tamaki on the cheek. "Goodbye…" _Sucker._ Kara thought.

Kara walked off.

And Tamaki just stood there dumbfounded and watched Kara leave.

He still did not know her name.

xXx

Kyouya Ootori stepped out of his limousine. He just got back from his two-month long honeymoon. He needed to get back into the loop and catch up with what has been happening in the world during his absence. He set up a three-hour long meeting with his right hand man to do precisely that. What he learned during those three hours did not please him. It did not please him at all.

"Call Tamaki Suou." Kyouya said to his secretary in a chilling voice.

X end of ch3 X


End file.
